Unseen Shadows
by universsoul
Summary: When Nicole first received the glare, she was shaken, but thought nothing of it. She didn't know that one look would spark the ride of a lifetime. It would make her wonder who her real friends were, and see things she otherwise wouldn't notice.


**So this is the first of my Marauder/OC stories. Just yesterday it didn't have a plot. Which isn't a good thing, because every successful story has a plot.  
>Enough of my ramblings; Read on!<br>**

"Back at Hogwarts. Again. Second-last time. Next year is the end. No more home away from ho-"

"Okay, Nic, we get it! Merlin, stop being so depressing," my best friend Megan Lynch whined.

"You just want me to stop because you're going to get all teary. Isn't she, Lily?" I asked my other best friend, Lily Evans.

"Nicole, you're right. But I'm on the verge of tears too, so I'd appreciate it if you'd stop," Lily replied. I looked at her eyes. She wasn't kidding; tears were glistening in those emerald-green orbs!

"Okaaaaay, for you, Lilykins. I don't know why you two are so intent on crying. I'm excited! Sixth year at Hogwarts! I've been looking forward to this since first year. No OWL pressure, no immediate NEWT pressure, just a bit more homework and – best of all – free periods!" I jumped up and down. We were walking towards the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast and the Sorting. I love the hat's songs. They were really imaginative – for a hat, anyway – and changed every year. Something new to look forward to.

My name is Nicole Liraden; I am a now-sixth-year Gryffindor who has dark brown glossy sheet of hair with blue streaks going through different parts of it and side-chopped bangs. I love my hair, though not nearly as much as Hogwarts' resident ladies man, Sirius Black, loves his. I also have light blue/brown/gold eyes. I am 5 feet, 2 inches (I get called Shorty or Itsy or something clever like that a lot) and I keep having to shoot down Sirius' attempts for me to go out with him.

They're not real attempts, because he and I are good friends – he and his friends are awesome, even if Lily doesn't think so – and he never actually means it. I don't like him that way, and I hope to Merlin he doesn't like me like that either. I am not a person who likes being arm candy or, in most Sirius cases, a 'conquest'.

I am an optimistic person; the opposite of Megan, who has a downright negative look to her, and she is (negative, that is), but she has her moments. I like to think we balance each other out; Lily has yet to agree with me. But then again, I do the same to her. I am an admittedly crazy girl. I don't do it for attention, but I'm definitely not shy, either. I love sparkly things (Lily got me a sparkly cat toy for my birthday in August – I absolutely adore it) and I'm very bouncy. All-around sunny. But if I get cross – which rarely happens – it's like the sun has imploded and I basically turn into Meggie; but with an even worse attitude. Lily likes to have fun, and she puts up with me (I love her for that), but she is a serious, strict rule-follower. No wonder she's a prefect! So's Remus Lupin, who is the only good choice to be a prefect in the sixth-year Gryffie boys – otherwise known as the Marauders. But since you probably know all about them, I won't get into detail.

I will tell you one thing about them, though. They have impeccable timing; both a good and bad thing.

"I am so looking forward to the free periods, Nikki. We actually have time and room to _breathe_ this year! By the way, how was your summer?" Ah, Sirius. How I'd missed him. Can you spot the sarcasm?

"It was pretty good. I went camping with these two nut jobs here-" I indicated Meg and Lily "-for two weeks. I'm surprised they're not planning to escape from me right now after that! The rest of the summer I just spent at home, owling people and watching movies," I told him as we took our seats at the Gryffindor table.

"You're calling us nut jobs? By the time the two weeks were up, Nic had nearly set the campsite on fire three times, got yelled at twice by innocent victims whom she almost ran over on her bike, came close to getting an owl from the Ministry about underage magic at least once, and more. I could go on, but that would take at least a week of endless talking," Lily told the others, laughing.

"They weren't innocent if they yelled at me," I muttered under my breath. But Lily, with the impossible-hearing, heard me.

"You just about killed them both! I think they had a right to yell," she grinned. Meg just rolled her eyes at each of us but smiled good-naturedly.

"Okay girls, enough. I want to talk about my summer at Jamesie's place!" Sirius said excitedly. I tuned him out and just watched him yammer on.

I took this time to look around at my friends. Lily, with the gorgeous red hair and emerald green eyes, was easily the prettiest girl in our year, if not the entirety of Hogwarts. Megan was really pretty too, with black hair cut in a bob and dark brown eyes. In our group of three, I felt the most plain.

I stood out, sure, especially with the random vibrant blue streaks in my hair, but that was deliberate. My friends didn't have to try to be noticed with their looks. I was noticed because of my – shall we say enthusiastic? – personality.

As for the boys, Sirius was very good-looking. He prized his longish, wavy black hair more than anything. He had stormy gray eyes that made girls everywhere swoon. But he didn't have that effect on me, no matter how much he tried. We always got a laugh out of it.

James had messy, short black hair that was constantly being ruffled, in hopes that Lily would fall in love with him. He had pretty hazel eyes, hidden behind glasses. He was awesome, and I didn't know why Lily had to be so stubborn. He could have pretty much any girl he wanted, yet only had eyes for one. Too bad that one hated his very existence.

Peter was kind of chubby with short, dirty blond hair and slightly beady, small, icky green eyes. He was the only Marauder I wasn't particularly fond of.

Lupin, however, is almost as good-looking as Sirius, in my opinion. He has light, sandy brown hair and soft golden eyes. He is quite the studious bookworm and doesn't notice the effect he has on most girls. Not including me, of course. He's amazing, there's no denying that. And there is the fact that he could have pretty much any girl he wants just because he's a Marauder. But I don't think of him that way. At all.

_Remus POV_

I listened to Sirius go on about staying at James' house for the summer, but I knew that it wasn't just a summer-long sleepover. He'd actually run away, and no one outside our little Marauder group knew.

"That girl was hanging on Prongs' every word! But of course, he paid her no mind. He's a little smitten with someone else," Sirius winked at Lily, who just rolled her eyes. Lily is a great girl, and we're actually friends – one of the only things James is jealous of me for. He has a horrible relationship with her. I'm the only Marauder who's achieved this nearly impossible feat. But being friends with Lily means I'm on better terms with her friends. Especially Nicole.

You know when you like someone, but you're such good friends with them that you probably have no chance to be something more? That's where I am with Nicole. I've liked her since about third year and she has yet to notice. It's not like it's widely known, though – only Sirius, James, and Peter know – but still. She's not a dense girl; actually, she's very smart. Amazing at Charms and Defence particularly. But sometimes, it's like she can't see what's not _right _in front of her eyes. I know that's not true; it's probably because she's off in her own little world.

Unless she figures it out by herself, she'll never know how I feel. Because I am _definitely_not going to tell her.

"So, Nic. How excited are you to see all the new, crazy ways I've come up with to ask you out?" Sirius asked. I groaned internally. Sirius always tries to ask her out, and she has never once said yes. Actually, she has thought of some _very_creative (and sometimes ego-wounding) ways to say no. But I can't help thinking that one of these days, she'll crack and say yes. Because she wants to, which I can't bear to think, or because she's had enough of the attempts. We all know Sirius just does it for fun and to annoy her.

"Oh, ecstatic. I cannot _wait_ to be courted in multiple different languages, with pranks and contraptions, and other things I can't think of off the top of my head," Nic answered him, sarcasm positively _dripping_from her voice. I cracked a smile, earning a grin and a wink from her.

What did that mean?

"Good. So I guess I'll start now, then, if you're so thrilled," Padfoot grinned evilly.

"NO!" she shouted. Everyone in hearing distance looked over. I expected her to blush and look down, but I should have known better.

"Hi, people! Sirius here is being delusional as usual. Hey, that rhymed! Anyway, how were your summers?" she called. I just shook my head and smiled as she got all sorts of replies.

That girl is the most random, out-there person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. And that's why I like her.

_Sirius POV_

Well, then. I recognize a defeat when I see one.

But unfortunately for the person in question, I rarely give up.

And I am NOT delusional. I am just … spontaneous. Besides, this is fun! I do this for the amusement and creativity, plus to maybe give Moony a few pointers to ask Nikki out. He has it bad for the girl. Can't say I blame him. In fact, if I wasn't so loyal to my friends, I'd maybe try to ask her out for real.

But until then, I'll file that idea away under the category of _never going to happen_.

_Nicole POV_

The feast was soon over and people were starting to make their way back to their respective dorms. I noticed Snape and Sirius' little brother, Regulus, shoot nasty glares in our direction. I sent one back, then saw Remus giving me a strange look.

"Snape and Regulus," I told him. Understanding dawned on his face.

"Come along kiddies; let's get on our merry way. I need sleep!" I shouted amongst my friends. They shared eye rolls (Megan and James) and affectionate head shaking (Sirius, Lily and Remus) then all but one followed me out.

"Nikki, darling, quit it. I will leave when I want to," James told me, still seated.

"James -"

"I'm coming, Lily!"

She grinned at me. I know Lily likes the power she has over him, even if she doesn't like him. She can make that boy do anything and he won't complain. Unless it's her telling him to get out of her face and leave him alone.

"So, Meggie. You've been unnaturally quiet. What gives?" James asked.

"I dunno. Just don't feel like talking," Megan replied.

"You wouldn't shut up on the train," I remembered. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Run out of things to say, I guess," she said, her tone suggesting an end to our asking.

"Well, okay. Remus!" I shouted. He turned around. "You've been quiet too. Are you two plotting somethi-" I stopped. There was a girl who'd been chatting with her friends right in front of us, but had suddenly turned around and gave me an ice-cold glare. I swear, if she was a Basilisk, I'd be dead right this instant.

I wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.

"Oi, you there. Got a problem with something?" I asked. I was starting to feel threatened for some reason, although I didn't let it show.

"Oh, no. Nothing. Carry on," Icegirl replied. And with that, she and her group walked off. But I didn't believe it was nothing, like she'd said.

I had a bad feeling about that girl.

**How'd I do? I'm actually pretty proud of this, because for one, the chapters are going to be over 500 words in length. Unlike my old fic.**

**You know, that review button is there for a reason. I suggest you click it.**


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